Page 27 of Embody

“Well, one has now, so the bar’s been set. It’s not a high bar, it’s common courtesy. So, if they can’t hang with the basics, dump their ass immediately,” I laugh.

“Will do,” she giggles. “This is me.” She stops in front of 104A. Ground level—not liking that a damn bit.

“All right, good night Bellamy.” I release my hold on her and start to turn.

“Wait. You got us all sidetracked and never answered my questions from earlier. What did you mean about being forbid? And by who?”

“Not gonna tell ya,” I shake my head. “Just can’t. And I’m begging you,please, let it go.”

“You have to tell me,” she playfully pushes at my chest. “I know me, I won’t be able to let it go. It’ll drive me crazy wondering. Don’t worry, I can keep a secret.”

“Can you?”

“Yes, of course,” she nods, earnest eyes honed in on mine.

“No, I’m serious, Bellamy.” I move in close, stopping when my face is less than an inch from hers and lift my hand to cup her cheek. “Can you really? Keep a secret, from everyone, even your best friend?”

“Yes,” her lids fall lazily and her answer is a breathy promise.

“Good, remember you said that,” I growl my impatient warning and push her up against the wall, using only the force of my body plastered to hers. My other hand comes up, her face now cradled in both, and crash my lips to hers. Finally taking my taste of Eden’s apple.May God forgive me.

And fuck me if it isn’t everything I imagined and more. Soft, warm lips that I trace with my tongue as she lets out the sexiest little mewl I’ve ever heard. I use the opening to slide my tongue inside, surprised when I hear myself grunt deeply in her mouth.

Nails graze up my neck and she tugs on my hair, so I give her what she wants, pressing my body harder against hers and devouring her mouth even rougher. Our tongues tangle in perfectly matched depravity, and I swear, I think she starts to climb me.

Her hands grip my shoulders and she keeps hitching her leg around my hip, trying to clamp it around me, so I help. My fingers dig into the backs of her thighs and I hoist her off the ground, groaning as she curls both legs around my waist and grinds herself against my hard-on.

I thrust forward, making damn sure shereallyfeels exactly what she does to me, and snap…losing all remaining semblance of control. Her ear, neck, collarbone, mouth…I can’t get enough, licking, kissing and sucking over her soft skin while she dry humps the shit out of me, moaning my name.

I want to fuck her so badly, slide deep inside what I know will be tight, untouched heat; right here, right now. I want to yank down her shirt, rip her bra open and suck on her huge tits until she screams for me to take her. I want to watch her drop to her knees and bury my cock in between those lush lips, inch by inch.

And,holy shit, I can’t believe I just had the fleeting thought…but, I want to carry her to bed and hold her against my chest all night long.

“Bellamy, we have to-”

“Stop. I know,” she whimpers, dropping her legs and arms from around me.

I was gonna say “take this inside,” but she squashed that dream real quick. Probably for the best.Probably.

Both our chests are heaving, her nipples, as hard as my dick, poking out to taunt me as we stand in silence. Her cheeks are flushed, lips swollen and those eyes…wide and wild, a bright, hungry emerald. Stunning.

I don’t want to think about where we go from here because I know the answer—nowhere. Unless…shewas the one to convince Brynny I’m what she wants and am good to her. But how would she even know that when I’m not allowed to convince her? We don’t get the chance to see if we mesh well, or if I really do want to be more with her, or her with me, because of Brynn.

What a fucked up, ass backwards mess.

I should tell my sister to butt the fuck out. Easy, right?

Wrong. So very, very wrong. Not even close to how it works in my large, extended family. We’re all loyal to a fault. Nothing or no one comes before family—no questions asked.

So I say, “I should go.”

“Yeah,” she replies, her voice somewhere between disappointed and…angry? “Thanks again for the ride home. And Jefferson?” she practically purrs, sliding a hand up my chest and patting over my heart. “You be sure and let me know, whenyouknow.”

With that, she gives me a sad smile and turns, going inside and shutting the door in my face.

I might not do relationships, but neither am I a moron. I completely understand what she just said to me.

I walk back to my car, running down the list in my head of who would be my best choice to talk to about my current, huge fucking predicament.

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